Improvement in oatmeal-machines



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G. H. G ORMAUK.

Oatmeal-Machine.

No. 204,137. Patented May 28,1878.

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G. H OORMAOK. Oatmeal-Machine.

Nd. 204,137. Patented May' 28,1878,

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UNITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. OORMAOK, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO A. M. JOHNSTON &OO.,'OF SAME PLACE IMPROVEMENT IN OATMEAL-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,137, dated May 28,1878 application filed April 8, 1878. 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. GORMAOK, of the city of Rockford, in thecounty of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Oat-Milling Machines, of which the following is aspecificatiou:

This invention relates to that class of machines employed in themanufacture of oat-- meal or grits, and is employed to cut theoatgrains, after the chaffy hull or shuck has been removed there from,into small sections, forming clean sharp grits with but little waste.

To this end I have devised and constructed the machine represented inthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an isometricalrepresentation of my improved oatmeal-cutter. Fig. 2 is a diagonalvertical section on dotted line X on the plan view. Fig. 3 is a planview, in which the hopper is omitted to show the upper surface of thecap and the cutters secured to. Fig. 4 is also a plan view, in which thecap is omitted to show the inner grooved surface of the conicformed cup.Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the conic-formed cup and the cap.

In the drawings, Arepresents a conic-formed cup with large end open, andis fixed to the vertical shaft B with large open end upward. The innerinclined walls of this cup, forming its inner surface, are groovedradially, as at a, resembling somewhat in general appearance an internalbevel tooth gear- Wheel. The grooves, however, are preferably made withcurved or circular bottoms, and the teeth are preferably inclinedslightly in the direction of the rotation of the cup, so as to present aperpendicular wall on the forward-moving side of the teeth.

0 is a pulley fixed to the shaft B, and is designed to receive a beltfrom a driving-pulley to impart rotary motion to the shaft and theconic-formed cup A mounted thereon, and in the direction indicated bythe arrow. This shaft, with the conic-formed cup and belt-pulley securedthereto, is mounted in a vertical position to revolve in suitablebearings centrally in the rectangular frame composed of posts D, sillsE, girts F, and center crosspermit the shaft to revolve in it freelyThis cap is formed with a rim, 1;, on its .under face and outer edge,beveled to drop freelyiinto the upper end of the cup. The outer rim hotthe cap H is beveled on its upper side, 'so that its beveled surfacewill be about at a right angle with the bottom of the grooves in theinner inclined face of the conic-formed cup A. This beveled surface isformed in inclined steps at proper intervals to receive the cutters c,in such a manner that the rear edge of each cutter will overlap thefront edge of the cutter in its rear. The cutters c are secured one oneach inclined step of the outer rim of the cap by means of rivets orscrews, in such a manner that their outer cutting-ends overlap the outerends of the grooves in the conic cup; and that portion of the cutterswhich overlaps the outer grooved edge of the conic cup is beveled ontheir upper side and forward edge, forming a cutting-edge. In thisinstance the cap, with the cutters secured thereto, is connected withthe rectangular frame by means of a bar, d, by which it is held in afixed position relatively with the frame, and in such amanner that theconic cup will revolve freely under it. This cap H is provided-centrallyon its upper side with a cup, 6, which receives the lower end of thehopper I, the outer corners of which are supported on stahohions restingon the corner-posts of the frame. The (mp e is pro vided with openingsit through its bottom to admit the grain from the hopper to theconicformed cup.

In the manufacture of oatmeal with my improved machine, the operation isas follows: The shelled oats being placed in the hopper I enter the cup6 and pass through the opening h in its bottom into the conic-formed cupA, which is made to revolve at a high speed by means of a suitableconnection with a motor. The centrifugal force produced by the highspeed of the conic cup causes the oat-grain to slide endwise up thegrooves in the inclined inner walls of the cup, and is carried againstthe edge of the cutters, and is cut into sections the inclined steps onthe upper beveled sur-' face of the outer rim of the cap H.

In the construction of machines the length of the cuts of the grits maybe varied by varying the inclination of the cutters on the cap.

This, perhaps, would be best accomplished by I varying the angle of thesteps which form the seat of the cutters. By reason of the square cutproduced with fine-edged cutters, a better quality and an increasedquantity of grits is' produced from an equal quantity of grain than withother machines now in use.

In this instance I have represented my machine with the open end of theconic-formed (cup A upward, but my machine is capable of use inverted;and I have represented my machine with the cap to which the cutters aresecured as stationary; but when a very high velocity is necessary toinsure the ascent of the vgrain up the grooves in the cup, the stroke ofthe grain against the cutter-edges might be such as to break the gritsinto small particles, which would tend to lessen the quantity and impairthe quality of the meal produced. In such instances the cap to which thecutters are secured may be made to revolve in the same direction as theconic cup,but at, a less velocity, regulated to move at such relativevelocity with the cup so. as to produce the largest quantity and bestquality of'meal from the gram.

In the foregoing I have employed a conicformed cup, grooved on its innerinclined walls, instead of which a cup having concave or convex innersurfaces radially grooved, or, instead of the cup form, a disk radiallygrooved, or any other known form capable of such use, may be employedwithout departing from the gist of my invention, so long as the grain iscarried to the cutters by centrifugal force in grooves in a revolvingsurface.

. I claim as my invention 1 In an oatmeal-cutter, the combination, witha'hopper or carrier adapted to be rotated in a horizontal plane, theinner surface of said hopper being provided with radial grooves whichlead to the outer edge thereof,.of suitable cutters located in closeproximity to the edge of said carrier or hopper, substantially as setforth. 1 t

2. In an oatmeal-cutter, the combination, with a hopper or carrieradapted to be rotated in a horizontal plane, the inner surface of thehopper being provided with radial grooves which extend. to the outeredge thereof, of a series of inclined cutters located and adjust- GEORGEH. GORMAGK.

Witnesses:

A. 0. BEHEL, J AMES FERGUSON.

